Jammu and Kashmir govt on the defensive over gaffe by Mehbooba Mufti's brother, internal dissent

Tassaduq Mufti, the brother of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, received brickbats for swearing in the name of ‘dog’ instead of ‘God’ at the time of his induction in the Council of Ministers. He, however, corrected himself after the mistake came to light. The swearing-in did not go well, as the Opposition NC and Congress tore into the PDP over the gaffe.

The PDP had to cut a sorry figure after Tassaduq, 45, a cinematographer-turned politician, made the above-mentioned gaffe. He, however, immediately corrected himself. National Conference’s Budgam MLA and party chief spokesman, Aga Ruhulla, said that the oath of office and secrecy is a constitutional obligation and the ministers have to read from a paper which is given to them before the swearing-in. He said, “Tassaduq showed that he was not serious. Taking the oath is not like cracking any scientific problem.”

Ghulam Nabi Monga, vice-president of the Congress in the state, said that Tassaduq did not appear to be prepared for the event.

Meanwhile, Mehbooba faced trouble from within as PDP leaders said that the party was ignoring elected MLAs, and that it instead promotes a culture of ‘sycophancy.’ Information and Technology Minister Imran Raza Ansari and Horticulture Minister Syed Basharat Bukhari were not present at the swearing-in ceremony. Ansari was to get his daughter treated at a hospital in Mumbai for tonsillitis while Bukhari is in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.

Ansari’s uncle Abid Hussain Ansari said that concerns about Imran getting a raw deal in Mehbooba’s government persist. He said that Mehbooba should have chosen to induct an elected member in the cabinet instead of Nayeem Akhtar, who is an MLC. “Imran Ansari was promised that he will get a better portfolio, but the promise has not been kept. The grievance still persists,’’ he said.

Akhtar is a senior minister in Mehbooba’s cabinet and was a close aide of former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mehbooba had dropped Chadoora MLA Javed Mustafa Mir from the cabinet after she assumed office following her father’s demise. However, Mir has made a comeback in the ministry. Mehbooba’s uncle and Dooru MLA Syed Farooq Andrabi resigned to pave the way for Tassaduq to be inducted as a minister.

Two ministers in the cabinet of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed—Noorabad MLA Abdul Majeed Paddar and Sonwar MLA Mohammad Ashraf Mir—however couldn’t make to Mehbooba’s ministry. Both have been critical of her functioning and previously also joined ranks with the NC and Congress to denounce the government over the lack of development in the state.

The induction of Tassaduq and Javed Mustafa Mir further heightened tensions in the PDP camp.

Tassaduq was sworn in as a minister days after Governor N N Vohra issued a notification nominating him to the legislative council against the seat that fell vacant after the resignation of Vikram Aditya Singh, grandson of Dogra ruler Hari Singh. He had resigned over the issue of declaring Hari Singh’s birthday as a state holiday and over claims that the Jammu region is being ignored by the PDP-BJP government.

As per the constitutional requirement, a minister has to get elected to either of the Houses of the state legislature within six months after being administered oath. Tassaduq will separately take oath as MLC, said an official. He earlier resigned as the co-ordinator of the chief minister’s grievance cell before being sworn in and was previously fielded by the PDP on the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. The elections to the seat were, however, cancelled after violence on the day of polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, in which Farooq Abdullah was elected as an MP after a thin voter turnout. Even before the Election Commission took a decision on deferring the polls in the Anantnag seat, Tassaduq said that elections should not be held. He came under attack from both the Congress and the NC over his statement, with the two parties claiming that he had sensed defeat.

PDP sources said that they have made their displeasure known to the party top brass and alleged that elected MLAs are being ignored. They have said that the party is neither giving them any key party positions nor ministerial berths.